The Slave Apprentice
by ThePastelPleb
Summary: Gabriel is an escaped slave, thinking of hismelf with no furture beyond one of labor. Gilian sees his furture as one of a Ranger and sents himself on making it happen.
1. Chapter One

The little lump among the waves struggled to stay above. It was choking, begging for dry land as the ship passed away. It was a large deal, him sneaking onto the ship among the cargo, deciding he'd rather die than spend another minute in his own personal, frigid, hell hole.

_Salt. Salt. Salt._

The stinging substance wouldn't go, it wouldn't stop as it threw him around like a rag doll. He was pulled under the waves by a brutal hand. He swore he hit the floor of the sea once, but had no way to confirm. He squeezed his eyes shut, the cold clinging to him like an icy prison as he fought for his life against it.

He wanted to live, damnit, he had been through too much. Rain pounded on the water's surface, seeming to contribute to the tossing of the waves.

He couldn't breathe, salt tortured him without mercy. He couldn't cry, he hardly could think as he was shoved under the waterline.

His vision was a blur, his lungs begged for air as he quietly thought I'm dying free

It was a bitter-sweet remark lingering as he lost consciousness, his eyes shutting as he sunk, his arms limp and his mind blank.

His next memory was violent stomach aches, throwing up and the foul taste that stayed as he wallowed in his own exhaustion.

He woke up in a forest, his head aching as he rolled over, throwing up saltwater and coughing and hacking until his throat was raw and his body felt weak. Weaker. How was he here? Where was here? He looked around, praying not to be back in Skandia. The irony, escaping only to wash up where he was trying to get away from. He stood, shaking as he stumbled and tried to gain his balance. Suddenly, the pain seemed all too evident as his salt-water soaked clothes clung to his skin viciously. Minor cuts and scratches irritated as he walked. It was jerked and hardly anything passable as he pushed his body to continue. His mouth tasted like salt and blood. His eyes burned from the crust it left while he slept. He felt pity for himself briefly, confused and dazed as he walked through what felt like miles but was only yards.

He leaned on trees every minute or so, taking deep breaths and calming down before continuing. It felt like weights on his body, every movement needing more effort than ever. He collapsed on the forest floor, he felt like the trees were mocking him. He felt crazy as his burning back rubbing on the dirt floor. He let out a yell, what he would like to imagine as a roar but only came out as a hoarse, shrill squeak on the ground.

He stumbled up, walking as best he could manage. He knew he could be anywhere, he spoke the common tongue and he hoped that'd get him by.

Everything hurt. All everything ever did was hurt. He was free and all he could do was stumble through a forest in pain and praying to whatever god would listen for water. Freshwater.

He soon felt eyes on him, he didn't know how. It was a slight change in the atmosphere, a slight feeling hitting him. He tripped over himself, hitting the dirt with a thud, his body screaming for him to rest. Sleep again, please. He was so scared of not waking. He was free. His fear was ignored, his body relaxing against the ground seemingly against his will as his sore eyes shut, sleep invading him, his pride wounded.

It had been weeks since then, Gabriel had been passed around until he ended up in Gilan's fief, the castle taking him in oh-so-generously. Gabriel had very few options, even with his freedom secure his future was shaky. Knight was out of the question, he was rather lanky despite being rather tall, he was a bit bothered by the aspect of being handed off to a family for farm work. It was anything but ungratefulness, he knew scribe work or being a servant in the castle were options, the former having the issue of him not being very well spoken in the language, the latter not utterly unappealing but nothing he looked forward to.

He didn't know what he wanted to do, he was free and that was all that mattered. He didn't think about much else after his escape plan besides being out. That was the case until he noticed Gilan watching him.

It was subtle moments, when he was walking around the halls of the castle, or trying to escape. He'd sneak behind things, tables and chairs, bushes and sit still for hours or move about in the general area. It wasn't anything professional, but enough to get him glossed over more than once.

Gilan's interest was cemented. The moment he talked with the Baron about him, he was almost jumping with excitement (unseen excitement, of course). It was a milestone, having an apprentice. It wasn't until he alerted the Corps' dear Commandant of the boy and, more importantly, his situation, that he truly had any doubt. Gabriel was lanky and thin, his hair rather long and grown out, running to below his shoulders and bluntly stopping, it was an inky black bun most of the time. He was as pale as the clouds, freckles dotting his face. His eyes, they were what jarred anyone who peered too long. Large, a brilliant green yet sat void. Blank, null and disinterested. They sat as a wall between the world and him, a warning. But they were solid, determined, much like the way he carried himself. His Galician accent was thick from what Gilan had heard, the boy had shown he wasn't going to be pushed to talk about his experience nor was he much of a social butterfly.

He went through with it, Gabriel not outwardly showing his gratefulness just yet when he settled in on the bright autumn morning, having scant personal effects to his name. A single book and loosely fitted clothes, all stuffed in a rough bag. He hadn't said a word. Gilan, a naturally social and curious person, felt out of place talking to himself as he showed him around. It wasn't unexpected but more agonizing than he'd anticipated. He finally described what he'd be doing.

He hardly had the same mindset as Halt when it came to chores around the cabin during early apprenticeship. He might've been speaking from his juvenile memories when he decided he would try and establish them as equals before making Gabriel feel like a maid. He had made breakfast, sitting down as he watched Gabriel examine the small living area, the fireplace, and chairs, looking over at Gilan. His eyes held something new. Gilan's bow and sword sat by the door, his cloak hung with care.

Gilan smiled and offered a plate of eggs and bread, it was simple but was still hot. The smell of coffee held the air, Gabriel sitting down and eating with a nod from Gilan. Gil could almost feel a question coming, it was an odd feeling. He took a large sip from his coffee, after adding a large spoonful of honey as the feeling was silenced.  
"Why me?" Gabriel asked, suddenly, the reason still beyond him no matter how many times his new mentor said it on the clumsy horse ride over. He was baffled. His voice was startlingly deep, yet very hoarse.  
Gilan gestured his hand in a circular motion, smiling widely at him as he stared back, his eyes holding discontent with the answer, the look vanishing in a moment as Gilan continued, "You have..something, Rangers, they're- well, what have you heard about them?" He wanted to get the boy talking.  
"They work for the king, there's 50 stationed at any one time, they police fiefs..." He seemed to pause, Gilan seeing the question in his eyes. "The other kids, usually, when I ask about them give me some jargon about magic.." He continued, seeming to pay attention to his annunciation as he eyed Gilan, wondering if he'd offend him by accusations of wizardry.  
Gilan gave a smile in return, nodding "It's more...illusion." He stated, looking for the right word and he nursed his hot cup of coffee. Gabriel looked puzzled for a moment, not hiding his glance toward the cloak, dangling innocently by the door. It was hard not to notice had he had to squint in the forest to even see Gil when he wore it.

Gilan dropped the subject for the moment, suddenly pondering if his new apprentice had ever had coffee. He poured another mug, pushing it over with the honey container with an urging smile. Gabe sniffed the liquid before he tasted it, a dainty sip. Gilan watched with a grin as a few sips later- The mug had been emptied

**A/N: Holy mother of rewrites, scoob**  
**Ight, so I'm back from unannounced Hiatus (i ended up moving then school) for the new decade with new ideas for how this (formally, hopefully) hernidious pile of garbage will be. I can't promise this will be the only rewrite, might seem counterproductive but I want this to be the best it can be but still put it out there**


	2. Chapter 2

The soft, dull, throbbing ache in the corner of his brain. It was inescapable but it was growing more and more distance every day.

Gabriel had gotten his uniforms, having to mend them a decent amount. He was below average, even for the frames of the rangers. It was mostly how thin he was- Something he was improving. He didn't have a very big appetite for the first two weeks he was free, naturally. The next was spent overeating and vomiting- eventually having his stomach adjust, yet not gaining weight immediately. Something that was needed to gain muscle. It settled on the apprentice that he didn't have the option to fail. This was his life and if he did anything less than excel, he'd be doomed to a life far too similar to his old one. If that, even.

Gilan seemed to be the only one seeing his potential, Gabriel hadn't shown anything utterly astounding to deserve the apprenticeship, like scaling a wall in the den of the night for a piece of paper. Or sneaking into the woods in a feeble attempt to scare his future mentor, which was a life-risking move all in all. Gilan thought long and hard about whether he actually saw potential or wished potential through pity, only to come back to the same answer he always did. His subconscious wasn't as cruel as to set Gabriel up for failure. Gabriel had something, and he would be something.

Gabriel was practicing his cooking, Gilan had given him several lessons over the past few days, a variety of results coming about, ranging from the god awful to glorious. He was hunched over the fireplace, biting his lip at the peak of concentration. Gilan learned early on that Gabriel didn't like asking questions, he liked to simply figure it out on his own, his stubbornness obvious. It usually ended in dread or a burnt hand in the case of whether the pot handle would be hot or not. Gilan's stomach was rushing Gabriel, the rumbling audible as the boy cooked, a quiet urge normally followed by Gilan urging him to take his time. It had been a few hours after they normally ate, and the smells were telling the mentor this would be one of the better meals. Gabriel took place on one of the chairs by the fire, watching the food with a doubting stare. Similarly to Gilan, he was starving, but his focus seemed to make that an afterthought. He relaxed, seeming to take a minute to collect himself.

"So," The mentor broke the silence, "How's your hand?" He hid a small grin. His plan to hold them as equals worked well, Gabriel still held him in respect and authority but knew he wasn't below him in any fashion. He was a ranger like him, apprentice or otherwise.

"Very good, actually." Gabriel snapped back, looking up at the ceiling, exhaustion blanketing him. He was ready to sleep. "I need more practice with cooking."  
"And that's why I've been eating raw or burnt food all week," Gilan said back, teasing lightly, the boy rolled out his lip, glancing back  
"The day before last was fine."  
Gilan shivered, remembering yesterday's meal of nearly raw rabbit and somehow overcooked carrots. He watched the boy stand and pull out the chicken he was preparing, he had cooked the bottom thoroughly and the upper section just enough, potatoes had been roasting at the base of the bird, along with nearly whole cloves of garlic. As Gabriel detached a leg and passed it to his mentor, along with a large helping of the garlic-scented potatoes, unaware of his mentor's awing at the meat.

Gilan ate, continuing to talk, suppressing to gratuitous amounts of praise he nearly handed out to his apprentice. He nodded his approval, watching Gabriel eat quietly. He thought about the slew of questions he had for him. It nagged at him, but it was the apprentice that broke the silence.

"Thank you." He said quietly, already finished with his plate. He sounded grim, the look on his face showing his thoughts were far away as he leaned into the chair, rolling his head to meet his mentor's eyes.

Gilan gave him an easy smile, eyebrows raised gently. "Thank me by making breakfast tomorrow." He stated, not knowing exactly how to respond to it. before standing, Gabriel following the action, only to receive a chased hug before Gilan took his leave to his bedroom, Gabriel stood there for a long moment, hugging himself before locking up the leftovers, preserving them for tomorrow's meals as they did with his failed rabbit, after that was taken care of, he went to bed.

The next morning, as requested, breakfast was made and Gilan was tending to Blaze, Gabriel going into town to fetch supplies for the next few days, coming back with a small number of apples as well as the supplies. Blaze nickered an alert call as Gabriel entered the clearing, Gil rolling his eyes as Gabriel offered an apple out of the bag to the horse, who was thoroughly interested in the apprentice now.

Gabriel smiled slightly, patting the horse's neck.

_I like him_

Gilan nodded, almost replying to the animal before addressing Gabriel. "You'll get your horse in a few weeks, you know?"  
Gabriel nodded, knowing he'd be getting a horse before his first examination at the Ranger Gathering. "I've never ridden properly before.." He mumbled, the Skandian's not being very riding inclined, leading to Gabriel barely ever seeing a horse except for a few used for labor.

"I figured. Don't worry, they..are, special in a way- It'll be a little difficult to adjust to but you'll be fine." Gilan gave him a grin, Gabriel nodded, seeming to think about the horse he'd be acquiring before noticing the weapons set out in the field surrounding the cabin, along with a target set up, a hay bale with markings on it.

He tilted his head, glancing at his mentor innocently. "What's that?"

"Time to get familiar with what you'll be using."


End file.
